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 Sliders
(Trachemys scripta)
General Info
Sliders (Red-Ears, Cumberlands,
Leopard Bellies, Yellow Bellies,
Maps, Cooters, and Painted Turtles) are found throughout the
United States.
Males are smaller than females in overall
body size, but have longer tails. Healthy
sliders can live anywhere from 10 to 15
years. They are gentle creatures, and make
excellent pets.
Sliders are quite intelligent, and can learn
to respond to their names. Feed your slider
the proper amount of food each day
(overfeeding can be fatal). To train it,
give it occasional treats such as bits of
raw lean hamburger, raw chicken livers, tiny
live fish, or dried shrimp tidbits.
Never drop your slider, or let it fall off
the table! The impact will kill it. Your
child(ren) will enjoy playing with this
curious, energetic pet, but should always be
closely supervised.
Important Note #1: SLIDERS WILL GROW TO THE
SIZE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT. If you want your
slider to stay small, you must keep it in a
small tank. Do not put your slider in a
large tank unless you want it to grow large! Sliders placed in large tanks or ponds can
grow to 11" in diameter.
Important Note #2: HANDLING A TURTLE WILL
NOT MAKE YOU SICK. The salmonella bacteria
is a form of e-coli, which lives in the G.I.
tract of nearly every living creature,
including humans. Most people have a natural
immunity to this bacteria, which is why the
disease is extremely rare. In order to get
sick, you would have to let your turtle’s
water get so filthy that it’s black and
stinking--and then drink the water. Simply
handling a turtle will not cause or spread
disease. (See cleaning tips below.)
Creating The Proper Habitat
Keep your slider in a warm room, but do not
place its tank in front of a window. Too
much direct sunlight and/or heat can kill
it. Specialized heat lamps and water heaters
are not necessary, and in fact can be
dangerous to your slider if used improperly.
Never fill your tank with more than a few
inches of water, unless you also provide
your slider with some kind of raft or
floating sponge to climb on. Your slider
will drown if it cannot rest on something
solid, and still poke its head out of the
water. Also remember that, in the wild,
sliders eat fish along with bits of
vegetation. If you put a slider in your fish
tank, it may eat your fish (even the big
ones).
Sliders need to climb out of the water every
day for at least a few hours. That helps dry
out their shells, which keeps them healthy.
A slider that cannot dry out may develop a
soft, mushy shell. This can be fatal. If you
cannot take your slider out of its tank
every day, or provide it with a place to
climb out of the water (an elevated rock or
bridge in one corner of its tank is usually
sufficient), make sure to keep a calcium
block in its water.
Cleaning The Tank
Your slider’s water must be cleaned at least
twice a week. Turtles are messy eaters, and
will defecate in their water. In rare cases,
exceptionally dirty water can lead to
disease (see above) for both turtles and
humans. Fortunately it’s very easy to clean
a turtle tank. Simply empty the dirty water
and gravel into a kitchen strainer, rinse
the gravel under running water, and pour it
back into the empty tank.
You can buy expensive de-chlorination
chemicals to treat your slider’s water, but
why waste the money? Simply fill a clean,
empty milk jug with water, and let it sit
out uncovered overnight. Then fill your
slider’s tank with that naturally-aged
water. A single milk jug can last for two or
more weeks.
With proper care, your slider will
be the easiest pet you’ll ever own. Enjoy! |
